Update Grand Teton National Park Crack: Rangers are monitoring the fissure in a rock buttress above the Hidden Falls viewing area near Jenny Lake – It is unknown how long the closure at Hidden Falls will be in effect

Jul 19, 2018

Grand Teton National Park staff are monitoring a crack in a rock buttress above the Hidden Falls viewing area near Jenny Lake. To ensure visitor safety, the information is being used to develop a risk assessment of the potential for rockfall. While the Hidden Falls viewing area is currently closed out of an abundance of caution, the Jenny Lake area—including Cascade Canyon, the loop trail around the lake, the shuttle boat, and a scenic hike along a cascade and up to a Jenny Lake viewpoint—is open.

large crack closes grand teton national park, large crack closes grand teton national park photo, large crack closes grand teton national park video, large crack closes attractions grand teton national park — Grand Teton National Park rangers have closed Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point for fear that a fissuring rock wall could tumble down onto onlookers. Other Jenny Lake destinations remain open. via Park Services

This is an update to the post I published a few days ago.

On July 10, climbing guides alerted park rangers to movement in the rock buttress that was believed to have recently occurred. After evaluating the situation, park rangers closed the area out of concern that the rock — which is about 100 feet long, 20 feet high, and 20 feet wide — could come loose and fall onto the highly visited Hidden Falls viewing area.

grand teton news, huge crack grand teton national park closing, crack grand teton national park, grand teton fissure, grand teton crack closure, grand teton national park closure, national park — Grand Teton National Park staff are monitoring a crack in a rock buttress above the Hidden Falls viewing area near Jenny Lake.

Park staff are using multiple methods to monitor the situation. Time-lapse cameras have been installed which allow the scientists to view growth in the crack as well as any changes to the buttress at 15-minute intervals. Scientists are also working with park rangers to manually measure the width of the crack at multiple locations at least once each day.

Scientists are using an additional monitoring technique called structure-from-motion, which has recently become popular in the geosciences field. This photogrammetry technique involves taking numerous photos and high-accuracy GPS readings to develop three-dimensional models of an object. Scientists are able to use structure-from-motion to assess how the rock may be moving and in what direction.

Since July 10, staff have not observed significant change in the crack on a scale they can detect. After additional investigation and discussion with climbing guides who routinely visit the area, it is believed that the crack may have begun to expand last fall, and it is uncertain whether additional expansion occurred recently, as initially thought, or over the winter and spring when freeze-thaw cycles may have contributed.

Park scientists are consulting with subject matter experts from the National Park Service Geologic Resources Division, Yosemite National Park, and United States Geological Survey Landslide Hazards Program to develop a risk assessment for the area as well as additional high-precision monitoring methods.